We had tried it in preview a few months ago, captivated not only by its concept, but also by the curious image of a world that draws its vital essence from brine . Not the supermarket kind, ready to season a tomato salad, but a mysterious and immensely powerful substance that boils in the deepest ocean trenches, capable of nourishing lost civilizations and corrupting entire submerged kingdoms. Now it’s finally out, and we can tell you all about it: Abyssus, the new title from DoubleMoose. A cooperative first-person shooter roguelike that doesn’t just offer frenetic combat, but wraps it in a roguelike context steeped in tension, progression, and secrets to uncover. In every run, you descend deeper, through forgotten ruins and abyssal corridors, ready to wield weapons fueled by this mysterious substance, modify them with technological grafts, and imbue them with elemental powers thanks to divine blessings.
On one hand, we’re relieved: much of the doubt we raised during the preview has been well handled. Unfortunately, some minor flaws remain, but, as we know, titles like this deliver their best when nurtured over time.
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The Assault of the Abyss
The premise is simple, but it works: you and your companions are Brinehunters, daring explorers tasked with retrieving hidden deposits of salamander nestled among the ruins of an ancient, submerged civilization. Unfortunately, the abysses are far from deserted: in your way stand hordes of corrupted creatures and colossal sea bosses, ready to turn every dive into a fight for survival. Each run becomes a frantic race between life and death, punctuated by rooms brimming with enemies and rewards.
The surprising part is that the gunplay has nothing “watery”: it’s instead solid, responsive, and precise. Every weapon features two fire modes, primary and secondary, and can be further enhanced with over 45 mods that radically alter its approach. Special abilities, from the classic grenade launcher to automatic turrets down to a wild but lethal “sniper cube”, complete a weapon arsenal both varied and fun to experiment with. On the mobility front, Abyssus doesn’t lag behind: the double jump and multidirectional dash give combat a frenetic, vertical rhythm, evoking the fluidity of the best arena shooters of the ’90s, but reimagined through a modern lens. Jumping, darting, crashing into enemies or escaping at the last possible moment from a charged shot becomes integral to the fun, turning every arena into a small, choreographed stage of chaos.
Every dive never truly ends: whether you resurface as a victor or as a floating corpse, you always carry something with you. Progress, rewards, fragments of experience, and above all the precious soul shards, to invest in the lobby to enhance the so-called “meta” progression. These improvements don’t overhaul the game, but make every new run more manageable: more healing available, additional medical stations on floors, extra rerolls for blessings, up to permanent upgrades for weapons.
The real spice that gives every match its flavour are however the divine blessings. These powers don’t just pump damage—they radically change the way you play. A rifle can suddenly become a fire-armed flamethrower, a dash can turn into a lightning explosion or a deep-sea tentacle that swallows enemies. There’s a creative freedom in mixing these effects that encourages experimentation, seeking ever more疯狂 and effective combinations.
To make the journey feel even more alive, designers have scattered subtle design touches throughout the levels. Every room hides a small secret, a chest to unlock or a hidden target to hit, rewarding the player who doesn’t just rush toward the exit but takes the time to observe the environment. The 64 maps, handcrafted and then procedurally reassembled, ensure a good degree of variety: no run is identical to the previous one. Of course, after many immersions, the repetition of certain “tiles” eventually becomes apparent, but there remains the sense of a world in constant flux, always ready to spring a different ambush around the corner.
A co-op that works even solo
Abyssus clearly has co-op built into its DNA: up to four Brinehunters can drop into the abyss together, cover each other’s backs, slot in abilities and blessings to face waves of enemies with ever-changing strategies. And yes, the game shines when the team communicates, when one draws enemies while another places turrets, and a third unleashes a wave of holy fire. But the surprise is discovering how well Abyssus can hold its own even solo.
Playing alone is never penalising, in fact: the pace adapts, the difficulty is calibrated to avoid turning the experience into an insurmountable wall, and the game still manages to keep the tension alive. Of course, the start is slower: you must wait, collect soul shards, unlock weapons and abilities before the progression reveals its strength. But after that initial curve, the flow becomes surprisingly satisfying. Runs zip by, battles intensify, and every descent maintains a precarious balance between control and chaos, with difficulty curves designed to keep the player constantly alert.
And then there’s a design choice that today sounds almost revolutionary: no microtransactions, no aggressive monetisation, no shop that looks at you sideways asking for real money. In Abyssus, every weapon, modification or skin unlocks simply by playing. Everything you earn is the result of commitment, exploration and perseverance. In a landscape where even roguelikes sometimes succumb to the temptation of paid shortcuts, DoubleMoose chooses the most honest path: let the game speak for itself. And this, more than a technical note, is a genuine declaration of intent.
Lights, shadows and a few gurgles
Visually, Abyssus doesn’t disappoint: the abysses have never looked so captivating. The environments, blending submerged ruins with organic corridors that seem alive, are enhanced by lighting and particle effects that convey the feeling of being truly in an alien and hostile world. The glowing trails of weapons blend with elemental explosions to create a spectacular chromatic chaos, without ever becoming excessive. Performance also holds up well: at 1440p with ultra settings, the game runs around 90 FPS, with only minor, natural dips during intense moments — nothing that compromises the experience.
The audio department is equally well-crafted, though with a few off-key notes. Weapons and abilities have a satisfying impact, the explosions’ booms and blessings’ effects fill the headphones with power, and the soundtrack accompanies the fights with driving rhythms that pump adrenaline at the right moment. However, the audio spatialisation doesn’t always convince: you may not clearly perceive where an enemy or a shot is coming from, and in a frenetic shooter like this, the issue can weigh heavier than expected.
Digging deeper, some flaws emerge that cannot be ignored. For example, the emote wheel is positioned inconveniently: activating it interrupts the action with an intrusive interface that covers the screen, and worse still, it’s perilously close to the heal button. A problem that disrupts the flow and demands immediate attention. The variety of levels also offers room for improvement: the 64 hand-drawn maps are well-executed, but the repetition of certain architectural patterns starts to become noticeable after numerous runs. Finally, some enemies don’t clearly communicate their moves: the telegraphing of certain attacks is hard to read, generating more frustration than a sense of challenge.
These are not insurmountable flaws, but in a game built on precision and rhythm, they stand out strongly. If fixed, they could turn an already very solid experience into a true little gem of the genre.
In conclusion
Abyssus is a roguelike shooter that knows how to surprise: fast, tactical, full of secrets, and with a progression system that rewards without ever asking for your wallet as collateral. Every descent into the abyss is a mix of adrenaline and tension, a flow that keeps you glued thanks to an immediate and familiar gameplay loop. It’s not a perfect title — the repetition of certain scenarios and the balancing of some enemy types still require a few patches — but it’s already one of the most convincing examples of how the co-op FPS genre can be reinvented without losing its edge. However, it must be said that, while entertaining and capable of trapping the player in a spiral of “one more run”, Abyssus has not yet reached the strategic depth and systemic richness of other titles it inevitably draws inspiration from, such as Deep Rock Galactic. That layered structure — which transforms a match into a shared story, built on unique synergies and emergent dynamics that radically alter the experience run after run — is missing here. The focus remains tighter and more immediate: fast shooting, secrets to uncover, blessings to combine.
And perhaps this is its strength and its limit: an intense and satisfying experience, but one that prioritises immediate impact over long-term complexity. With the updates promised by the developers and the addition of new content, there’s room for the ocean of Abyssus to become even deeper. Who knows...
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